Nature Notes June

Nature Notes from

The Walled Garden

by Julia Monro

JUNE 2020

Perfectly Podded Peas! I am quite delighted by the deliciousness of freshly picked peas, especially sweet because as you may remember me saying, they were a mystery gift through my letter box! I will definitely be sowing them every year from now on!

Mary’s Sweet Pea

Sensational Sweet Peas Nothing brings joy like a freshly picked bunch of Sweet Peas, their fragrance charming and with the evening sun behind them remind me of stained glass windows. The red ones I grew especially for Mary Slade have not caught up with the others yet but there's plenty of summer yet!

There’s been no lack of sunshine from the flowers in the garden, even if we have had tremendous mixed weather from above!

Foxgloves have been popping up all over the place. Fuchsias too are now in abundance and the very much remind me of Cicely Mary Barkers, Flower Fairies! Cicely of course was a local to Croydon, living in The Waldron's .

Fuchsia is a dancer Dancing on her toes, Clad in red and purple, By a cottage wall; Sometimes in a greenhouse, In frilly white and rose, Dressed in her best for the fairies’ evening ball!

March June The Vegetable Gardens have really taken off now, with potatoes, all sorts of beans, courgettes and marrows, Jack-o-lantern pumpkins, chard, onions, carrots and Toms and Peppers in the green house.

What a difference a few months makes!

The Queen of Sweden is such a beautiful new rose to me. A gift from my parents it produced these most dreamy pastel pink flowers. I was keen to see that there is a connection with it as you will see in the above photograph with one of my favourite National Trust Gardens at Bodnant, North Wales. Edwin and I sat in that garden listening to Harpist Dylan Cernyw about five years ago now. I have so many happy memories of this magical garden!

New Acorns forming on the Oak Trees and Walnuts on the Walnut Tree!

Cycling adventures on Reigate Hill took us to the edge of Dawcombe Wood, the field on the right here was full of butterflies! If only they stayed still long enough to photograph! Dawcombe I understand is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust, and there are rare orchids to be seen here.

The cygnets of Priory Park Pond are growing fast now, and there are so many other young water birds there this year being enjoyed by many. Not a brilliant photo but this Damselfly has been spotted a few times in the garden. A very Monet looking Waterlily was seen at the pond by the Redhill Ambulance Station, where I went to support the memorial service for Peter Hart, one of our local NHS Heroes'. As the rain poured down, this little lily just sat there reminding me of the true comfort and healing nature offers us, as many have discovered to be so true since lockdown began. I hope very much that this will bring a new worldwide momentum for taking good care of our planet.

The Fruit Garden, continues to become bountiful, Apples, Blackcurrants and Gooseberries getting ready for later harvesting.

But Raspberry's and Strawberries are delightful treat whenever passing them! In fact Carol’s Strawberries have been so abundant this year, that they just had to be made into delicious Jam!

I sincerely hope this little newsletter finds you well and safe still. It has been such a lovely sight to see more of you back at the Museum Garden again as the Lockdown begins to lift. And thank you so much for all your kind emails and comments about the newsletter. I hope very much it helps/has helped you feel connected to this beautiful garden Edwin and I are so grateful to enjoy! With all best wishes, Julia